A 2-(2-hydroxymethylphenyl)-2-alkoxy(or hydroxy)-iminoacetamide is an important intermediate for the production of alkoxyiminoacetamide derivatives useful as agricultural fungicides (see JP-A 3-246268, JP-A 4-182461). The following processes for producing the intermediate are known: the process comprising reacting a 2-(2-halomethylphenyl)-2-alkoxyiminoacetic acid ester with a metal acetate, followed by an amine (JP-A 3-246268), and the process comprising converting the halomethyl group of a 2-(2-halomethylphenyl)-2-alkoxyiminoacetamide to a hydroxymethyl group (JP-A 5-097768).
However, there is still room for improvement in these processes.
The object of the present invention is to provide an industrially advantageous process for producing a 2-(2-hydroxymethylphenyl)-2-alkoxy(or hydroxy)iminoacetamide.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate for the production of a 2-(2-hydroxymethylphenyl)-2-alkoxy(or hydroxy)iminoacetamide.